Penfolds Bin 407 Cabernet Sauvignon 2019

Is this a wine to rejuvenate the failing fortunes of Australian cabernet sauvignon? In its 29^th release, Bin 407 steals the show, sets the pace with a fully energised, beautifully balanced young cabernet of class. It’s all the more significant because it’s from a warm-hot vintage across the regions where fruit was sourced. The Barossa Valley, for example, experienced 31 days of temperatures exceeding 35C.

A bright, punchy introduction of freshly picked black and blue berries, violet, dried herbs, a hint of clove. But it is the oak component – French (27% new) and American (8% new) – that shines because it’s fully integrated, balanced. It dares you to suss it out amid all of the ripe fruit goings-on. So dark, so fresh across the palate with black strap licorice, bay leaf, dried sage working in a matrix of super fine tannins.

Jeni Port

Wine critic at Winepilot

Jeni Port is one of Australia’s top wine communicators. Based in Melbourne, Jeni created the first wine column in the (then) Sun News-Pictorial before moving over to The Age and becoming that paper’s longest-serving wine writer. Over the years she has written for most Australian wine magazines and these days calls WinePilot home. She is also a Tasting Panel member on the Halliday Wine Companion. She was named Wine Communicator of the Year and Legend of the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival in 2014 and in 2018 Legend of the Vine. She is a founding board member of Australian Women In Wine and is the co-deputy chair of Australia’s Wine List of the Year Awards and China’s Wine List of the Year Awards.

Wine writer and critic